


Kiss me like you did before

by S_Nebulosa



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Car Accidents, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Love Confessions, Meet-Cute, Pining, Sharing a Bed, Sleepy Cuddles, nothing bad though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:13:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27118042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/S_Nebulosa/pseuds/S_Nebulosa
Summary: Kara gets mistaken for someone else by a drunk man and Lena swoops in smoothly to rescue her. With a kiss. They share a drink and get along super well and Kara falls hopelessly in love but convinces herself Lena is straight. Lena and Kara grow closer and closer but stay in a limbo between friendship and romantic relationship. Until events unfold and Kara can no longer keep her feelings to herself.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 34
Kudos: 505
Collections: Supercorp Big Bang 2020





	1. The meeting

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Kiss me like you did before (Art)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26630032) by [SWLandsuperartist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SWLandsuperartist/pseuds/SWLandsuperartist). 



> I want to thank Apples for organising this Big Bang! Without it, I would've never finished this fic that has been sitting in my drafts with only half a chapter written for a small eternity.  
> Second, I want to thank Sam for their beautiful art for this fic, which you can find [over here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/SCBB2020/works/26630032).  
> I want to thank Brittany, Sam and Donna for betaing because this fic needed it haha. You made it what is it today, so thank you for that!  
> And I want to thank Aphrodite_mademedoit and V2kbug for cheering me on and talking me through finishing writing and editing this fic.

The bar Alex dragged her to tonight is just on the verge of being too crowded for Kara’s taste. Some song Kara recognises from the radio, but doesn’t actually know the name or artist of, is playing over the speakers. The volume is loud enough to be heard but soft enough not to have to shout to hear other people. The bartender slides Kara her drink, a club soda, and she thanks him before paying a ridiculous amount of money for some fancy water.

Alex has gone off to the pool table, talking with a pretty woman and probably challenging her to a match, knowing Alex. Kara looks at them for a moment, as they dance around each other and slowly grow more relaxed and at ease as they play their game of pool and crank up the flirting. She looks back at her drink, and can see the bartender mix some other drinks in the corner of her eye.

Kara shifts on her chair. She doesn’t feel entirely comfortable here, alone. But she’s promised Alex she would stay and try to have fun. So, she silently tells herself to stay at least for as long as it takes her to finish this drink. If she still feels uneasy by then, she can leave. Alex seems like she is doing fine without Kara, so she doesn’t have to stay for her.

“Wowww, honey!” a man says loudly, his speech slightly slurred and arms flailing uncoordinatedly, as he slides into the chair next to Kara.

She startles slightly and looks back at him as he tries to focus his gaze on her.

“I didn’t think I’d ever see you again. I miss you, honey,” he tells her, as he tries to put his hand on her arm but misses several times in his inebriated stupor.

Kara’s muscles all go rigid. She’s never seen this man, and drunk people can be unpredictable.

“Babyyy,” he whines, “I can’t live without you. We should never have broken up. I’m so sorry. Please, honey.”

“I think you’re mistaking me for someone else,” Kara suggests hesitantly.

“No, honey, please,” he pleads. His hand flails again, and this time it hits its target, falling heavily on Kara’s forearm.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know you.” Kara shrugs off his hand and gets up from her chair. The drink isn’t worth this. No matter how much she paid for it.

He gets up as well. Standing on unsteady feet and almost falling over against her. Kara takes an automatic step back, but he is insistent and manages to grab hold of her arm.

“Mariana,” he begs, “please, Mariana honey, I miss you. Please take me back.”

Kara feels pinned, and her fight or flight reaction kicks in. If her mind was in the right place, she would realise she could easily shrug him off and walk away, but her mind isn’t. Her gaze flails around for someone to help or something to hit him with to get him to release her.

“Let go!” Kara pleads, voice choked up by panic and sounding far weaker than she wishes.

He doesn’t listen, of course. He probably can’t even hear her through his drunken haze.

“Mariana,” he mumbles, leaning closer. His breath, a mixture of strong alcohol and cheap appetizers, washing over her as more incoherent words follow.

Suddenly, a smooth feminine voice sounds from behind Kara, as a warm arm slips around her waist. Kara initially stiffens at the contact, but when she realises what’s happening, feels the hand rest politely on her side–not on her butt or the side of her breast, but safely on her waist with little pressure, a grip she can get out of any time–she relaxes a little. The warm hand inexplicably provides her a little comfort.

“Hello darling. Is this one bothering you?” a velvety voice asks her, the one connected to the hand on her side. When she glances there, Kara is met with the most perfect profile of a woman she could ever imagine. High cheekbones, a sharp jaw, skin so light it almost looks like she is sculpted from marble. Her green eyes are friendly but with a bite, a small crinkle forming at the edges, as she stares at the man, awaiting Kara’s reply. Her dark brown hair is in a sophisticated updo, and Kara counts at least five piercings in her ear before she manages to drag her gaze away and fixes it on the man standing in front of her. Her wrist is still held in his grip.

He looks confused, eyes struggling to focus on this newcomer and fit her into the contrived fantasy playing out in his mind.

“I don’t think she’s interested,” the woman says. The fierceness in her eyes looks good on her.

 _It’s hot._ Kara thinks to herself.

But this is entirely not the moment for these kinds of thoughts, so she quickly shakes it off and stares at the man.

His hand is still around her wrist, and she can practically see his brain straining to make sense of this situation.

“Mariana, I just want you back. Please, honey.” He shakes Kara’s arm a little and shows no signs of wanting to back down anytime soon. Or understanding that he’s talking to the wrong person.

The woman next to Kara turns away from the man and instead faces Kara. Her eyes are even more striking when they’re staring directly at her. They seem to look straight into Kara’s soul. Their shade reminds Kara of sea foam reminiscent of her youth in Midvale spent jumping in ocean waves.

“Do you want him back too, darling?” the woman asks, the term of endearment paired with a low voice makes Kara’s knees go weak for a second. Somehow though, she still manages to answer the question.

“No, I don’t know him.”

One perfectly monitored eyebrow lifts several millimetres as the woman turns her gaze back to the man, as if to wordlessly tell him, “I told you so.”

Still, he doesn’t seem to comprehend Kara’s rejection. He only steps closer to her. The woman next to Kara seems to notice and looks at Kara again. The expression in her eyes is so very different from his. She doesn’t look like a predator ready to jump its prey, more like a caring and protective friend. Kind and understanding.

A slender hand comes up and brushes stray hairs from Kara's face, making her forget everything around them as she drinks in the sight in front of her. The woman’s eyes change, a silent question held in them now. Kara answers it by leaning forward. A small smile plays at her lips because she knows what’s coming and can’t wait. It is like a spell is cast on her. She’s entranced by this woman pretending to be her girlfriend, and now Kara wants only one thing.

Eyelids ghost over green eyes, and soft red lips inch closer and closer to hers until they’re finally touching. All sound around them fades away. It’s as if a veil has fallen over them, shutting out the outside world and protecting them in their own little bubble.

Time becomes an illusion, both incomprehensibly fast and endlessly slow at the same time. They could be kissing for several years now or only a millisecond. Kara doesn’t know. Her hand lands on soft hips, a finger slightly digging into the pliant flesh. She doesn’t want this to ever end.

She’s so lost in sensation she doesn’t even hear two other men joining and talking to the one holding her wrist.

“Nicolas, bro, that isn’t Mariana. Let her go and let them be,” they tell him as they start to drag him away from them. The man readily releases Kara’s wrist after that and starts to cry softly as his friends move him elsewhere.

“I’m sorry, he’s a little heartbroken and lost,” one of his friends says, but he quickly realises neither of the women is listening to him and mumbles another apology before joining his friends.

Kara’s attention is all on the woman in her arms. The woman whose lips are touching hers softly, comfortably. Kara’s heart is racing, and her breath catches in her throat as she feels their hips touch. Their lips disconnect when Kara gasps for air, too overwhelmed by everything that’s happening to supply her body with sufficient oxygen. Immediately, the woman’s body moves away from hers. Just a step, but Kara feels empty at the distance between them.

“I’m sorry,” the woman says, her voice low and husky and doing things to Kara she didn’t know a voice could do. “Are you okay?”

Kara nods, unable to form words. The feeling of warm lips still lingers on her own.

“I’m really sorry. I just...I saw him come onto you, and when I noticed how uncomfortable he made you, I just couldn’t stand by and do nothing. But I shouldn’t have done that. I shouldn’t have kissed you. I should have just told him off or get someone else’s help. I’m sor–”

“Thank you.” Kara cuts the woman off, unable to hear more unnecessary apologies. She rescued Kara and should not feel guilty about it. “I don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t saved me.”

Pale cheeks flush slightly at that but she quickly recovers. “I think his friends would have gotten to the saving then.” She points at the trio in a booth on the other side of the bar. The drunk man sitting with his head in his hands, as his friends try to console him. “But I still shouldn’t have kissed you. Let me make it up to you by buying you a drink?” The question is out before Kara has a chance to protest the woman’s attempt at another apology.

“Oh. Err-” Kara glances at her abandoned drink and wants to decline, but then her eyes fall on a small red-lipped pout. Green eyes are begging her to accept this as an apology. She notices a bit of red lipstick slightly smudged around the lips she secretly longs to kiss again. “Sure.”

“I’m Lena, by the way.” Their hands lock, and Kara notices Lena’s grip is a lot stronger than she expected. Not that she expected Lena to be weak. Anything but. Just that she didn’t expect her to be this strong. Physically.

“Kara,” Kara answers a moment later after she remembers her own name again.

Lena smiles warmly. “Nice to meet you, Kara.”

“The pleasure is all mine.” Kara nods, a dopey smile gracing her lips. She has died and gone to heaven. Definitely. Either that or an angel has descended to Earth.

Lena orders them drinks at the bar and takes Kara’s hand to guide them to a booth in the back. Her hand is comfortably warm in Kara’s and feels like it’s right where it belongs if you ask her. The skin of Lena’s hand is smooth, indicating that she clearly doesn’t work in something involving a lot of manual labour. Her clothing is chic, suggesting a corporate job or at least something with good pay. It takes a small amount of effort from Kara to keep her eyes on where she’s walking instead of on Lena.

When they arrive at the booth, she nearly slides in next to Lena but catches herself at the last second and drops Lena’s hand, opting to sit across the table instead. Giving up contact with Lena makes her skin feel simultaneously hot and cold. A curious tingling sensation remains. She regrets letting go a little bit, but it probably would have been weird to slide in next to Lena. At least now she can look at her. Something that is totally worth it because Lena is a sight to behold.

* * *

Turns out Lena isn’t just a great kisser. She’s also really good at holding a conversation with someone who only manages to create stuttered and incomplete sentences. It takes yet another attempt at an apology from Lena for Kara to finally find her tongue again.

“No, no. None of that Lena. I could’ve ended up dead in an alley if you hadn’t showed up and that guy had the wrong intention. So stop saying sorry.”

Lena looks every bit the scolded child, and all Kara can think is how adorable she looks. Bottom lip jutted out just the slightest bit, paired with puppy-dog eyes, adorable. Kara attempts to lighten the mood by brightly smiling and taking another sip from the drink Lena got her. It’s a perfect one too. Sweet and lacking the usual bad aftertaste that accompanies alcoholic beverages. It doesn’t take much longer for Kara to finish it and ask a passing waiter for another.

Lena looks surprised at the request. A little shocked even. It doesn’t go unnoticed by Kara.

“What?” She asks. “It’s a nice drink.”

“That’s not– It’s not that. It’s just– you want another drink, with me?”

“Yes. Why wouldn’t I?” Kara is a little taken aback by Lena’s confusion.

“I’m not really someone people willingly spend time with, ya know?” Lena explains with a casual half-shrug.

“Why not? You’re really nice.”

“I’m Lena Luthor.” Lena says as if that’s supposed to mean anything to Kara.

“And I’m Kara Danvers.”

Lena shakes her head a little, a ghost of a smirk making its way onto her lips.

“People don’t hate the name ‘Danvers’, Kara.”

“Do they hate the name ‘Luthor’? It doesn’t sound very offensive to me. I mean I once heard of a guy named ‘Raper’. Now, I do think being called ‘John Raper’ could be a little problematic, but ‘Luthor’ is just a normal surname so–”

“It’s not because ‘Luthor’ means something.” Lena cuts Kara off before she can ramble even more. Kara notices her face looks a little more relaxed now, a tiny smile tugging at her lips.

“It’s–” Lena starts. She takes a deep breath, seeming to steel herself before she looks Kara straight in the eye. “My family doesn’t have the best reputation, and people never really want to hang out with me,” Lena confesses. Something about it makes Kara think that’s not all there is, but she has no reason not to believe this.

“Well, if that’s all, then I see no reason to leave.” Kara visibly makes herself comfortable in her seat to strengthen her words, hoping it will put Lena at ease. Something nags at the back of her mind, but she decides to ignore it. If there is more to it, she will let Lena tell in her own time.

Lena finally looks up again, eyes hopeful and wide in surprise. Beautiful eyes. Eyes at which Kara could stare for hours. Eyes in which Kara can completely lose herself. Eyes which, Kara now notices, are ever so slightly two different shades of green. One more mint and the other leaning slightly towards forest green. It is a subtle difference, barely visible in the dim light of the bar.

Kara doesn’t realize she’s been staring–real creepy staring–until a glass with her new drink is placed down in front of her. She quickly drags her gaze away from looking at Lena and takes a swallow from her drink. At least Lena doesn’t seem to notice, eyes now focused on the menu that was previously in a small stand hidden on the edge of the table.

* * *

“No way!” Kara exclaims in horrified surprise. “Your old boss really said that?”

“He didn’t even seem sorry. Of course, after that I didn’t know how fast I should quit. I do feel bad for the women still working for him. But I was just a teen so I’d hope most of his employees are better at standing up for themselves.”

“I cannot believe he thought that was okay. Especially to a minor.” Kara shakes her head in disappointment.

Several drinks in now, it’s like a barrier has been lifted. Less inhibited now, Kara finds it easier to talk, the conversation flowing effortlessly.

“Don’t tell me you never had a boss who was terrible?” Lena quarries.

“Oh, I have. But he was never like that. Snapper was terrible to anyone and everyone, even the white frat boys. Maybe even more to them. And Cat was… different. Quite nice actually once I got to know her.”

“Good for you,” Lena cheers happily. It seems like all her apprehension and guardedness has disappeared. Then again, she's had several alcoholic beverages already; it could just be those talking.

“So, that was my terrible work story. What’s yours?” Lena asks, looking over the rim of her glass, as she takes another sip of her drink.

“Oh god.” Kara can feel her cheeks burning from embarrassment even years later, as she thinks back to that day. “I caught two of my colleagues having sex at work.”

“No way!”

“Way. In the printer room.”

Lena’s face scrunches up in a way that’s both relatable and adorable. “Gross.”

“Mmmhmm.” Kara nods in agreement.

“I hope you didn’t have to work with them for too long with that image stuck in your head.”

“Oh no.” Kara shakes her head as she takes another sip. “Mike moved away soon after, and Eve got a job at a different company after a while.”

“Good.” Lena seems reminisce for a moment before continuing with, “God, I really hope my employees aren’t doing that in the printer room. I like to imagine them using it for printing and copying.”

“Oh, you run a company?” Kara asks curiously. Lena obviously has a good job, but having her own company is something else entirely, and that slightly intimidates Kara.

Lena frowns, scrutinizes Kara for a minute, and then leans forward.

“I’m Lena Luthor from L-Corp, formally known as Luthorcorp.” Lena speaks clearly as if she has a deeper message to send and really needs Kara to understand.

“L-Corp as in that big building with an ‘L’ on it?” Kara asks a little warily, worried about saying the wrong thing with the sudden shift in mood.

“Yes, that’s the one.”

Kara whistles lowly between her teeth. “That is huge.”

Lena nods, her gaze not leaving Kara for a moment. Like she is on guard and expects something bad to happen any moment.

“Well, I hope your employees use the printer rooms for what they’re intended for,” Kara says with a small chuckle, thinking this part of the conversation is over. Because yes, apparently, Lena runs a huge business, but she’s been good company so far, and this information doesn’t change that.

Lena seems to think differently. “Do you not...That’s it?

“Yes? Why would where you work matter?” Kara questions.

“But, I’m Lena Luthor,” she emphasizes, like Kara needs to do something with that information.

“Okay…”

“My brother is Lex Luthor.”

“Okay…” Kara doesn’t know where the conversation is going, but if she keeps agreeing maybe she will eventually find out.

“The name doesn’t ring a bell?” Lena asks, clearly getting a little suspicious.

“No, but I don’t really follow the news, let alone celebrity gossip.”

Lena’s mood seems to fall at that statement, and she gets possibly even more serious than before.

“Lex Luthor, my brother, murdered five people.”

“Oh.”

“Yes, oh.”

So, that is what Lena wasn’t telling Kara about her family. Kara nods robotically, fiddling with the straw in her glass as she processes this information.

After a brief moment, she glances at Lena and asks softly, “You didn’t murder anyone, did you?”

“No,” Lena shakes her head. “I would never.” Lena sounds adamant about it, and Kara gets the sense that Lena is telling the truth.

“Good,” Kara notes, “because if you ended up in prison, I would be God knows where… Or drinking all alone, and that’s a little lonely and sad.” Kara adds a small smile to show Lena she is joking.

Lena’s lips curl up a little at that, and it makes Kara determined to bring back the smile from before. The one that lights up the whole room and makes all Kara’s stress fade away for a moment.

“My sister tried to shoot a potato gun at me until our mom interfered. She also convinced me one time that I would run out of words because I was using up my allotted amount too quickly. All siblings have their flaws. Some might just be a little bigger than others.”

After that, conversation slowly returns to casual and comfortable again. Lena’s smiles are wider, and her eyes are twinkling with delight. Kara can tell Lena has had a lot of rejection based on her brother’s wrongdoings, and it seems unfair. She will prove to Lena that people can be different.

Kara wants to walk home, but Lena refuses to let her. They compromise by sharing a cab, with Lena insisting on dropping her off first. ‘It’s on the way anyway,’ or so Lena says.

So, deep into the night, they part ways on the curb of Kara’s apartment complex. After Kara has promised to drink plenty of water and get some much-needed sleep.

It isn’t until two days later, that Kara realizes that they haven’t exchanged numbers.


	2. The searching

An empty pizza box lies on the table. Beside it, two almost finished tubs of ice cream with a sad puddle staining their bottoms. Two pairs of sock-clad feet rest next to them. One toe almost poking through a small hole. In the background ‘The Wizard of Oz’ plays on the tv, but neither of the Danvers sisters are really paying attention.

“Kar,” Alex starts contemplatively, “sorry for leaving without telling you the other night.”

Kara has already partly forgotten everything that happened that night before Alex left. Kara holds no ill will towards her sister. After all, she met Lena because of it. Lena, the most intriguing and mysterious human being she ever met. Nonetheless, it was pretty rude of Alex, and Kara doesn’t like to imagine what would’ve happened if Lena hadn’t stepped in.

She stays quiet, waiting for Alex to either say more or look for a response.

“I hope you weren’t mad,” Alex finishes.

“Well…” Kara pauses for a moment, enjoying the dread she sees appearing on Alex’s face. “There was this dude who wouldn’t leave me alone.” Alex’s facial expression shifts to terror, “but this super nice woman showed up and got him to leave.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, yes. I got out fine thanks to her.”

“Good.” Alex leans over to give Kara a sideways hug. “I’m sorry I left. Next time, I’ll let you know and make sure you get home safe.”

“Thanks,” Kara says sincerely, as she leans into the hug and turns her face towards Alex. At the last possible moment, Kara snaps her face forward and sticks her tongue out to lick a big stripe on Alex’s cheek.

Alex jumps back out of instinct and brings up an arm to slap Kara. “Gross!”

Kara is doubled over on her side of the couch, laughing so hard she might give herself a stomach ache if it lasts a while. Alex scrunches up her nose in disgust, but a tiny hint of a smile appears on her lips. With her sleeve, she dries her wet cheek and shoves at a still laughing Kara.

“You should’ve seen your face!” Kara gasps, as she tries to control her laughing.

“You are so disgusting.” Despite Alex’s complaint, she smiles at Kara and shakes her head with affection. “At least you got home safe.”

“Mmh. Lena was very wise. She made me share a cab with her.”

“Lena, huh? You’re on a first name basis already?”

“Alex,” Kara groans. “We’re both adults. We shared a drink. Or two. Or three…”

Alex raises her eyebrows suggestively. “You shared three drinks? As in, multiple drinks? She must have been _very_ nice.”

“So nice!” Kara confirms. “She offered me a drink because she kinda kissed me without asking and felt super guilty about it. We talked and she was just...so nice.”

Alex eyes Kara suspiciously, seeming to gauge any hidden message in Kara’s words.

“She is like this super smart owner person of a company and very intriguing.”

“Mhm,” Alex hums. “She sounds very nice. What did you talk about?”

“Err...Ehm...work?” Kara stutters. “And family a little bit.”

“You sound very invested in those conversations.” Alex deapans.

“I am! I was. It’s just...she was very distracting, and remembering conversations is hard.”

“You mean your gay was showing, and she was too attractive.”

“No! Well– Maybe, okay? She was just so pretty, Alex!” Kara blurts out. “And she kissed me.”

“Might I suggest you contact her? It sounds like you got along, and you definitely have the hots for her.”

“I do not!”

“Do too. You’re even blushing right now,” Alex points out.

Kara raises her hands to her cheeks and feels the slight burn of her red hot skin.

“Okay. Maybe a little.”

“Text her then! Just invite her for coffee or lunch or a movie or whatever it is you do that’s lowkey.”

Kara hesitates for a moment, her hand floating in the middle between her side and her phone on the table.

“Come on.” Alex encourages. “It would be a shame to not contact her. You know you’ll regret it for the rest of your life if you don’t.”

“I can’t,” Kara admits, shaking her head a little in regret.

“Sure you can. Come on, don’t be a chicken. What can go wrong?” Alex challenges.

“I’m not a chicken. I just–”

“No excuses. You did say you like her.”

“Well, yes but–”

“Like really, really liked her, ” Alex pushes.

“I did not say that!” Kara shoots back. But the red blush on her face betrays that she did think it. And feel it. A little quieter she adds, “That isn’t even the problem. I can’t text her because I don–”

“I’ll help you. I’ll dictate something if you need me.”

Kara watches with mild amusement as her sister snatches up her phone and scrolls through the contacts, looking through all of the L’s before meeting Kara’s gaze again. “What did you save her as, hot bar chick?”

“I’m not you, Alex,” Kara retorts as she grabs her phone back. She can feel her frown grow as she stares at the device and finally admits in a mutter, cheeks burning with red hot shame, “I never got her number."

“What?”

“I don’t have her number. We never exchanged those.” Kara solemnly drops her head and feels Alex wrap a consolidating arm around her shoulders.

“Do you know her full name at least?”

“Yes. Lena Luthor.”

“Luthor as in from L-Corp, Luthor?” Alex asks, surprised.

“Yes.”

“Well, if you know who she is, we’ll get her number. You’ll find it eventually. Just have to look in the right place.”

Kara nods, still a little sad.

“I’ll help you. We’ll start tomorrow. Tonight we’ll just enjoy ourselves and forget about it for a bit, okay?”

“Okay.” Kara agrees. She knows she’ll have to clear her head of emotions before embarking on the search. With what Lena let on about herself, it doesn’t seem like she would have an email address or a phone number publicly accessible.

“How was your night? I saw you dancing with a woman. Did you leave together?”

“Kelly from the pool table?”

“I guess so, if that’s her name. High heels? Yellow dress?”

“Yeah, that’s Kelly.”

“So,” Kara pries, “how was she? What is she like?”

“She is amazing.” Alex tells Kara dramatically. “Her eyes are so big and deer-like. She is so easy to talk to. We chatted all night. She’s a therapist, but I didn’t feel like she was psychoanalyzing me at all.”

“All night, huh?” Kara says with a giggle as she wiggles her eyebrows.

“So maybe we did a little more than just chat. But you don’t want details about that bit now do you? Cause I could tell you everything about her fingers and how—”

“Stop!” Kara yells, grossed out. “Stop. Stop. Stop! Too much information, Alex.” She gives Alex a stomp against her upper arm, making her fall over with laughter.

* * *

Kara starts her search for Lena - Lena’s contact information - at the bar where they met. She decides to go a little earlier in the day. Alex on speed dial in case something happens again. At first, she wants to wait and see whether Lena shows up, but being alone in this place freaks her out a little. So, she decides to muster up the courage to talk to the bartender; a heavily tattooed, buff woman with greyish silver hair.

“Excuse me,” Kara starts, getting the woman’s attention.

“Good evening, sunshine. What can I get you?”

“Oh, err, I’m not really here for a drink. I have a question.”

“No drink. No answers, sweet cheeks. Now, what are ya having?”

“Ehh.” Kara hesitates. She has no idea what to ask and is drawing a blank on remembering the existence of any beverage at all.

“How about I whip something up for you?”

Kara barely has the time to request something “not too strong” before the bartender ducks beneath the counter and comes back up with two bottles.

Expertly measuring amounts and adding them together, the bartender barely has to look at what she’s doing and focuses her attention back on Kara.

“What was it you wanted to ask?”

“Well, the other night I was here, and I met someone. We shared a few drinks.” Kara begins, as she scoots up on her barstool. “But I forgot to ask her for her number, and now I don’t know how to contact her, and I thought maybe someone working here might know her.”

“Mhmm. When was this?” She puts several ice cubes in her shaker and puts on the lid.

“Friday.”

“Fridays are William’s nights.” The bartender says, raising her voice slightly to be audible over the sound of the ice cubes slamming against the inside of the shaker she wields in her right hand. “But if she’s been here before, I might know her. What’s she look like?”

“She has long black hair, is probably around my age. Light eyes, wore a suit.” Kara sums up.

“You have a name?” The bartender pours the drink into a glass and puts it on a coaster in front of Kara.

“Lena. Lena Luthor.” Kara takes a sip of her beverage, a weird mixture of sweet and bitter hitting her tongue. She nods approvingly as not to get on the wrong side of the person helping her.

“Lena Luthor...can’t say I know her. She’s not a regular. Sorry. You can try asking William on Friday, but I’m afraid I can’t help you.” With that she slides Kara a bill and moves to serve the other patrons.

Outside, Kara calls Alex to give her an update.

“No. Nothing. Bartender didn’t know her.”

 _“Okay, so can I track her mail now?”_ Alex asks eagerly.

“No Alex. That is weird. I’ll search the internet first.” Kara rebuits.

_“Fine. But then can I track her mail? It’s not weird. It’s my job. I investigate.”_

“Maybe.”

 _“Ugh. You are so difficult,”_ Alex complains without any real bite to it. _“Do you want to come over for dinner? I cooked too much.”_

“Sure, I’ll be there in twenty. You can help me with my internet search. That is your job too, isn’t it?”

_“Yes, but that is the boring part. Just get your ass here before the food is cold. And pick up some dessert on your way over.”_

* * *

The world wide web is a place of infinite knowledge. Yet, Lena’s information is not part of it. Hours of searching leaves Kara resigned to never finding Lena. The website of L-Corp of course does not have any useful information. Kara is not yet desperate enough to contact a random assistant.

All the search engines come up with articles surrounding Lex’s trial and the murders he committed. They find articles filled with slander and cheap rumors, blaming Lena for everything, judging her, condemning her to terrible fates. But no address or phone number to be found.

Kara blankly stares ahead. She hadn’t expected to find such terrible things and needs a moment to recover. To find her will to search further. Just not on the internet. Alex’s plan of tracing Lena’s mail now seems so much safer than their endeavor on the web had been.

A pair of warm arms wraps around Kara from behind. A head resting comfortably on her shoulder.

“We will find her, Kara,” Alex consolidates. “I will find her. Promise.”

Kara lets out a deep breath and places a hand on Alex’s arm. “Thank you.”

Unsurprisingly to Kara, Alex does every and anything to make good on that promise. She tracks Lena’s mail, which turns out to be sent to a random family in one of the buildings Lena owns. She goes to the bar, hoping Lena will show up there and presses bartender William for information on Friday night. She tries to talk her way into meeting Lena - the CEO’s itinerary is so full, she can only get an appointment two months from now. She tries to get Lena’s attention after media appearances and press conferences. It is all futile. Lena is a well-guarded public figure with an experienced security team and top notch protection.

But then, when Kara and Alex are once again sharing dinner and trying to come up with a new game plan – or rather, Alex is trying to convince Kara to not give up hope – the unthinkable happens. The doorbell rings, and with a heavy heart and tired body, Kara drags herself to the door to answer. On the other side of it: none other than the one and only Lena Luthor.

Her hair is down in soft waves, her lips painted red as the day they met. She’s wearing jeans and a blue coat. Purse clutched in front of her. A hesitant smile gracing her lips, widening when she seems to recognise Kara.

Kara can only uncharmingly gape at Lena’s appearance. Her mouth is slightly open, hand on the doorknob, as her thoughts race.

“Hey,” Lena greats, her smile turning a little cheeky, as if she’s done something she shouldn’t have by turning up on Kara’s doorstep.

“H– Hey,” Kara stutters. Her hands itch to reach out to remind herself of the warmth of Lena’s skin on hers and to prove that the woman in front of her isn’t merely an illusion.

“Leslie told me you’ve been inquiring about me.”

“Leslie?” Kara asks dumbfounded.

“The bartender from the bar,” Lena elaborates.

“Oh. She told me she didn’t know you.”

“Did she now? I’ll ask her about that because we certainly do know each other. She’s actually an old classmate of mine. But talking about Leslie is not what I’m here for. Can I come in?”

“Yeah– Yes, of course!” Kara pulls open the door further and gestures for Lena to come inside.

Lena curiously checks out the interior of Kara’s apartment but stops short when her gaze lands on Alex.

“Hello. And who are you?” she asks unabashedly.

“I’m Alex, Kara’s sister,” Alex replies unperturbed. “You must be Lena.”

“That I am.”

Kara watches on curiously as Alex and Lena verbally dance around each other. _Interesting_ , she thinks, and hopes this is only a first meeting thing and not a forever thing. She really wants her sister and her new friend to get along well.

“Alex was just about to leave,” Kara says, and she moves to her sister to physically maneuver her out of her apartment.

“Was I? Because I recall you asking me to stay the night.”

 _Rao_ , _sisters can be so annoying._

“You were. Don’t you remember. Kelly just called you. She wants to watch a movie, so you better hurry.” Kara takes Alex’s arm and starts pulling her towards the front door.

“I don’t recall,” Alex says. Kara thinks she might strain an eye with how hard she rolls them.

“Leave,” she hisses under her breath, hoping Lena doesn’t hear.

Alex wiggles her eyebrows suggestively before finally grabbing her bag and obeying Kara’s demand.

“Have fun tonight. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” she yells over her shoulder, as she pulls the front door closed behind her.

Kara lets out a relieved breath and turns back to Lena whose curled lips betray her amusement at the Danvers sisters’ antics.

“So, ehh, you said you weren't here to talk about Leslie. But what _are_ you here for?” Kara asks. “Wait. Did you have dinner yet because I can make you something if you haven’t.”

“Thank you, but I just ate before I came here. I’m here because you’ve been looking for me, apparently. And I memorised your address from dropping you off with the taxi.”

Kara nods understandingly and pulls out a seat for Lena. “Sit down, please. Do you want something to drink? I was just making tea,” she lies, wanting to make a good impression.

“Tea sounds good.” Lena takes the offered chair and puts her bag down next to it, unbuttoning her coat and draping it over the chair’s back to reveal a deep green blouse complementing her eyes. This woman clearly knows her fashion, and Kara feels very underdressed despite Lena’s jeans.

“So,” Lena starts when the tea is done and they’re both holding a hot cup between their hands. “You’ve been asking about me?”

“Well, err, yes? I really enjoyed spending time with you, and we never exchanged phone numbers so I had to search high and low to find you.”

“Yes, that was a bit foolish of us, wasn’t it? Do you mind me asking what other than asking Leslie did you try to get in contact with me?”

“I tried finding stuff on the internet. But I didn’t find anything useful there. Just a load of horrendous gossip messages.”

“Ah yes, the media does not like me very much because of my brother, you understand,” Lena says with a simper.

“No, I don’t understand,” Kara says, a little too loud and fiercely. “You didn’t do anything, and it is wrong of them to condemn you for something you didn’t do.”

Lena’s simper turns a little softer, almost watery, as if she’s not used to people taking her side and defending her. “Thank you,” she says, voice a little softer than before.

Lena’s unease with the topic of conversation is clearly visible so Kara decides to change it to make her new friend–or at least she hopes they’re on their way to friendship–more comfortable.

“My sister also tracked your mail, talked to the other bartender, William, and tried to get an appointment with you. You are a busy woman. She has an appointment in two months time, at the earliest available moment.”

Lena lets out a small laugh at that. “Being a CEO means I’m booked a lot, yes. But I can always make time for special people.”

Kara blushes a little, unsure what to make of that. Is Lena flirting with her or is she just being nice? Kara has no reason to assume Lena is anything other than straight. But she also has no reason to believe Lena is in fact straight.

“Well, you’re hard to track down,” Kara says awkwardly, breaking the silence. “You have a lot of security, by the way.”

“Mhm. Jack, my ex, made me get so much. But he had a point.” At the mention of ‘he’, Kara feels some semblance of hope inside her fade away. Lena has an ex-boyfriend. There is no way she would be into a woman. Let alone into Kara specifically.

“Especially back then but even still now,” Lena continues none the wiser. “People hate my guts for the name I carry. For the company I own. For their own business going bankrupt. You name it, and someone finds a way to blame me.”

“That sounds awfully sad and lonely.”

Lena shrugs. “I’m used to it. And I do have friends, you know.” Lena grins.

“Oh.” Kara turns slightly red at realising she implied she didn’t think Lena has any friends. “Of course. I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s okay,” Lena says with a little laugh. “It does get lonely sometimes, even with friends. So you are not entirely wrong about that.”

They talk for a long while longer, moving to the couch for more comfort when they’ve both finished their tea. It is after midnight when Lena leaves again with a relaxed smile. This time they don’t forget to exchange phone numbers and part ways with the promise of meeting up for coffee sometimes next week or the week after, depending on when both their schedules permit.


	3. The (re)connecting

Kara spends nearly her entire week overthinking her conversations with Lena. Why would someone like Lena freaking Luthor, owner of a Fortune 500 company, Forbes 30 under 30 member, most charismatic and gorgeous woman Kara has ever met, want to spend time with her, Kara Danvers the nobody, unior reporter at CatCo magazine and barely even that? She has zero charm, and she might not be ugly, but she’s nowhere near Lena Luthor levels of beauty. It all makes no sense.

She is also a complete idiot and knows it. She is yet again fulfilling the stereotype and falling for a straight woman. Yet she can’t help herself. When she has quiet moments alone, she can still feel the soft brush of Lena’s lips against hers. The weight of a hand cupping her cheek. Skin smooth and touch gentle. She can feel the curve of Lena’s hips brushed by her own fingers. Her hand comfortably relaxing there like it has found its home and never has to go anywhere else anymore.

When she closes her eyes, she sees the sharp lines of Lena’s jaw. Green eyes looking deep into her soul. Red painted lips forming around a laugh or teasingly getting sucked between perfectly straight white teeth.

Kara really has a problem. A big, big problem.

She is in deep, and it feels so good. Which is exactly the problem. Good thing her sister knows a thing or two about falling for straight girls.

Alex initially doesn’t offer any help. She just laughs at her. So hard. Kara doesn’t think Alex will ever stop laughing. So she throws a pillow at her sister’s head. Not that it stops Alex’s laughter immediately. It does get her attention, and at seeing the hopeless look on Kara’s face, Alex starts to calm down.

“So, you’re dreaming about her?” Alex eventually asks.

“Dreaming, daydreaming. I can’t stop thinking about her. You have to help, Alex. I can’t fall in love with my straight friend.” Kara sags down on the couch and puts her head in her hands.

“You are certain she is straight? Lena confirmed that? She told you, she is straight?”

“Well, not with so many words. She mentioned an ex-boyfriend. And I don’t even know if she’s single right now so…” Kara trials off.

“That last point is not really an issue at all. Just ask her. And you can also just ask her whether she is straight, you know.”

Kara blows out a loud breath. “It’s not like she’s gay or anything.”

“Kara, you don’t know that,” Alex chastises softly.

“Yes I do. She said she has an ex-boyfriend.”

“You have an ex-boyfriend, Kara,” Alex explains calmly. “And are you straight?”

“Well. No. But that’s different,” Kara defends.

“How? How is that different?”

Kara finds herself unable to answer that question. Alex may be right. It doesn’t _have_ to be different. But still. Maybe it was the affection with which Lena spoke her ex’s name. Maybe Lena just reminds her a little too much of those women flirting with their friends and calling them girlfriends despite all of them being straight and very much not in a relationship together. Maybe the problem is just Kara.

“I’m not saying she’s definitely gay, but I’m not saying she’s straight either,” Alex says.

Kara nods. Alex is right.

“You could just ask her, you know. Or bring it up in a conversation,” Alex suggests.

“I don’t want to make it weird. And you know I can’t do stuff like that subtly, so that’s also off the table.”

“It’s not weird to talk about your sexuality, Kara. It is part of who you are.”

“I know but still. What if she does think it’s weird?”

“Then she’s not worth your time or effort. You deserve better than surrounding yourself with people who find your sexuality weird.”

“I guess.”

“You know so. You’re worth more than that, Kara.”

Kara shrugs and buries herself in Alex’s side. She’s enjoyed her time with Lena so much, she doesn’t want to consider having to cut ties because Lena turns out to be an asshole.

Alex wraps her arms around Kara to comfort her. “Movie?”

Kara nods, face still buried. She feels Alex shift and hears the familiar intro of Terminator play. _Fine_ , Alex can have this win. Kara doesn’t care much about the movie they watch now, she just wants company. But next time she will make sure they will watch a musical.

* * *

It is the sixth time in just as many weeks they are meeting up for coffee. Not that any of the last times ended after the coffee. The first time they got ice cream. The second time Kara convinces Lena to go to McDonalds with her and eat fries. The third and fourth they take long walks in the park with a second cup of takeaway coffee, and for the fifth they end up watching a movie at Kara’s.

Kara has enjoyed each and every one of them tremendously. And clearly Lena has enjoyed them enough to keep meeting up for coffee with Kara. By now she must know it won’t just be coffee. Even though Kara keeps trying to leave after they have finished their cups. It is not her strong suit, and she always finds a reason to stay. They have a nice conversation going, or she is hungry now, and Lena is fine with going to get some food together. Kara does not complain.

A few minutes after ordering, their steaming cups arrive. Each decorated with some pretty art. A cookie on the side, which Kara immediately unwraps and shoves in her mouth, much to Lena’s delight.

“Do you want mine too?” Lena offers with a laugh, holding up her own cookie. “Or should we just go ahead and order food along with the coffee already? It’s a little early for dinner but we can get a small bite.”

“Don’t you want it yourself?” Kara asks back, gesturing to the cookie.

“I’m good.” Lena puts the cookie next to Kara’s cup, the smile not fading from her lips.

“Well, in that case, I won’t say no to your offer. I won’t say no to pie either, though, if you wanted to order some.”

“Sure,” Lena replies easily, and she looks up to find a waiter to wave over.

They settle on a piece of apple pie, with whipped cream because Kara insists.

As they wait, they slip into easy conversation.

“How was your week?” Kara asks as she stirs the foam in her cup.

“It was pretty good, actually.” Lena wraps her hands arounds her cup as she talks. “Remember when I told you about that research we did into a screen that could tell you what button your finger is hovering over for people who can’t see it or comprehend the visual? We got a huge breakthrough, and things are looking up. We might even be able to have a first prototype ready this year.”

“That’s amazing, Lena!” Kara enthuses.

“It’s very promising indeed. And how was your week?” Lena asks back.

“Nothing special, really. I did see a really cute puppy the other day, and boy do I want a doggo of my own.” Kara sighs and stares outside for a moment, imagining life with a dog.

“What’s keeping you from getting one?” Lena asks curiously, her lips curled in the softest smile as she watches Kara daydream briefly.

“I’m not allowed pets in my building except maybe fish. But I’m not a fish person,” Kara explains.

“That’s a shame,” Lena says earnestly.

“Yes, and I’ve been casually looking at other apartments, but everything is just either too expensive or won’t allow pets or isn’t in the city and would make the commute to work too long. I like living where I do. Just wish they allowed pets.” Kara shrugs and takes another sip.

Before Lena can respond, a waiter arrives with their pie and Kara perks up, starting an unconscious ramble about pie as she offers Lena to take the first bite.

The pie is sublime and without either realising, the time flies by. It feels like they only got there but two coffees and the pie later, it’s already getting close to dinnertime. Kara plays with the rim of her mug as she tries to come up with an excuse to prolong seeing Lena today. She is definitely not ready to part ways. And Lena doesn’t seem too keen on leaving either. Neither has asked the bill yet or made any sign of wanting to leave.

Then, Kara has an idea.

“Hey Lena,” she asks perkily, “do you have somewhere to be tonight?”

“No.” Lena shakes her head in confusion, looking at Kara with a big question in her eyes.

“Do you trust me?”

“Well, that depends. You’re not going to abduct me and torture me, are you?” Lena jokes.

Kara smiles and shakes her head. “No, it’s perfectly safe. But I just thought of the best place to show you, and we can bring dinner maybe and have it there, if you’re okay with that. If you’re not, that’s also okay. You’re probably busy–”

“Kara,” Lena cuts Kara off, “I trust you.”

“Good. Are you okay with taking my car? Or do you want to drive, and I’ll give you directions?”

“I’m fine with taking your car, as long as you then also get me back to mine later tonight.” Lena smiles widely and pushes the empty coffee cup in front of her away a little to indicate she’s ready to leave.

It’s a short drive to the local Italian place Kara gets them dinner. A pizza for her and pasta for Lena. A longer drive follows, out of town. Lena only glances at Kara sideways once, but Kara is quick to reassure her they’re not going anywhere dangerous or suspicious, and she’ll drive Lena back whenever Lena wants.

The city slowly disappears behind them, as Kara drives the winding road up the mountain just beyond its boundaries. Kara parks her car at the viewing point near the top. Lena follows her outside, and Kara leads them to a bench with the perfect view over the city and sea beyond it. The sun is just starting to set, casting a faintly orange glow over the horizon.

“This is gorgeous,” Lena says, having stopped walking to enjoy the view.

Kara gestures at the empty spot on the bench next to her, and Lena walks over to join her.

“It’s only going to get better,” Kara promises as she hands Lena her food and a fork.

They sit and eat in silence for a moment, both enjoying the view and taking in everything around them.

“Whenever I’m here, I feel like a superhero looking out over her city,” Kara explains after a while. The sun has started to dip into the sea, casting streaks of deep red, soft pink and gentle orange at the sky making it seem on fire.

Lena nods understandingly. “I can see why. Everyone seems so small from here. It makes you feel powerful.”

Kara hums in agreement.

As the sun slowly sinks into the ocean, they finish their meals in peaceful quiet. Neither feels the need to break the silence. It is not an uncomfortable one, and nature feels too serene to disturb with conversation. When the sun has completely disappeared behind the sea and all the streaks of colour have vanished from the sky, leaving a dark slate spotted with stars, they reluctantly get up. It is getting cold and late. They should both head home and go to bed, regardless of whether they want to or not.

Kara drives them back and drops Lena off at her car. When she’s home and has received a message from Lena that she got home safely too, Kara crawls into bed and dreams about kissing Lena beneath a sunset.

* * *

Kara is definitely, maybe, probably not going to tell Lena how she feels about her today. Then again, a picnic at the beach does sound like the best moment to tell someone you’re maybe totally crushing on them, right? Kara mentally goes back through all their conversations to find any hint this revelation would not end up in a complete disaster. She doesn’t find any. Better to keep it to herself probably. She has too much to lose at this point.

She is currently pacing around the corner where they agreed to meet, halfway between both of their apartments and close to the beach. With a deep sigh, Kara hoists the bag with all the food and drinks she’s brought to her other hand.

Who would’ve known that several drinks and enough food to feed a small orphanage would weigh so much? Everyone but Kara, most likely. Shit, why doesn’t she think things through a little more. At this rate, her arms are about ready to fall off by the time Lena arrives. It’s a few minutes still before their agreed upon time, and Lena is nothing if not punctual. She has to with her job, and Kara knows.

Kara turns around again. She lifts her head, ready to start another round of pacing, when her eye catches a head of black hair. It disappears behind some other people before Kara can get a proper look, so she walks to the side a little in hopes of getting a better look. It might be Lena.

The head appears again. This time, Kara sees light skin and one eye she would recognise anywhere. Lena!

Her face breaks into a smile she cannot stop, and she rushes in the direction of her friend. Lena looks gorgeous as always. As soon as she notices Kara, she starts smiling brightly too and speeds up her pace a little.

Yeah. Nope. Kara is definitely not going to tell Lena how she feels about her. She is not going to ruin this thing they have. If that is all Kara will ever get, she’s fine with it. She doesn’t want to lose her new friend now. They’re just starting to get to know each other better. They have finally passed the awkward phase of finding out major information about each other and have entered the sharing of random details and being comfortable to be weird together. That is the best part of friendships, in Kara’s opinion.

Lena hooks her arm with Kara’s, and together they walk to the beach. It’s a busy day, but Kara did not expect any different. It’s Saturday and the weather is nice, after all. Kara spots an empty area and half-drags Lena there to claim it before anyone else can.

“This is the perfect spot!” she declares, after guesstimating the distance to the boardwalk and her favourite ice cream place in this area.

“It’s a little sunny,” Lena declares, a hand shielding her eyes from its bright rays.

“It’s the beach. Everywhere is sunny. You did bring sunscreen, right?” Kara starts laying out a picnic blanket and taking all of the food and drinks from her bag.

“I did, I did. I just- I didn’t expect the sun to be this bright.” Lena sits down when Kara gestures for her too. Also taking out some food from her bag. And a bottle of sunscreen she immediately starts applying on her exposed arms and face.

“Lena, have you never been to the beach?” Kara asks, astonished.

“Well, I have been on a beach before. But I was no older than four. So I don’t remember much of it. Just that I built a sandcastle, and the tide washed it away.”

“You’ve never been to the beach as an adult?” Kara asks, a little shocked. National City has its own beach. Kara would have thought every citizen had visited at least once but probably way more often. Yet Lena once again proves she’s the exception that proves the rule.

“I never thought about going, to be honest,” Lena admits, shrugging a little.

“Well, good thing I’m taking you now then.” Kara takes out one of the handwipes she’d brought and hands it to Lena to clean the sunscreen from her hands.

“As long as you’re not making me swim,” Lena says. “I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”

“We can swim another time,” Kara suggests enthusiastically, but Lena seems a little less excited about that prospect. “Or not, if you don’t want to go swim. It’s a lot of fun though.”

“We’ll see,” Lena says calmly, but it’s not a no, so Kara takes it.

“So,” Kara continues after a short silence. “I brought pasta salad and bread with dips. And smoothies and water.” She gestures to the food and drinks.

“I brought fruit salad and veggies,” Lena adds, laughing a little at Kara’s pout. “Kara, just because it’s healthy doesn’t mean it won’t taste good.”

Kara sputters a little, but it’s Lena, so she will give the food a try.

And it is a good thing that she does so. The fruit is sweet and flavourful, and the veggies are a surprisingly good combination with the dips Kara brought for the bread. So maybe Kara eats a little too much and flops back, belly and heart full.

Lena lies down next to her, head close to Kara’s. “That was good,” she says softly with a small satisfied sigh.

“You can bring fruit and veggies to every picnic,” Kara tells her, equally softly. “I don’t know what you did to them, but they actually tasted good.”

Lena laughs. “I didn’t do anything. Just picked ripe fruits and thought about which would taste good together.”

“That is not nothing,” Kara argues as she closes her eyes; the sun comfortably warming her skin.

Lena doesn’t reply and Kara lets it go. This time.

They lie together for a long while, basking in the comfortable warmth of the sun. This time of year, it isn’t burning hot but feels like a warm blanket. It is perfect, if you ask Kara. And she may or may not drift off briefly.


	4. The revelation

Kara is comfortably asleep one night when she is rudely woken up by her ringtone. Knowing people won’t call her at this time – which upon checking proves to be just after 3 am – she grabs her phone and squints to read the screen.

Lena.

Worried, Kara quickly tries to rub the sleep from her eyes, clears her throat, and answers.

“Hey?”

_“Kara?”_

“Yes, it’s me. Are you okay?”

_“Yes, I’m fine. I think. Could you maybe come pick me up? My car broke down.”_

“Yes, yes. Where are you? Are you sure you are okay?” Kara rambles as she jumps out of bed and scrambles around in her bedroom looking for something to wear. Anything. A pair of pants. A bra. A sweater.

_“I’m on Cornelia street.”_

“And you are really okay?” Kara asks again. She needs to hear it from Lena. It’s 3 am, and she hears some distant commotion in the background. She needs Lena to know she doesn’t have to lie to her. In the meantime, Kara finds the clothes she needs and awkwardly pulls them on while keeping her phone connected to her ear to her best ability.

 _“Yes. I’m okay,”_ Lena confirms though she doesn’t sound entirely convinced. It’s good enough for now. Kara will get to the bottom of that later. Lena doesn’t sound in danger or need of professional help right now.

“Do you want me to stay on the phone with you as I drive over?” Kara offers, collecting her keys, drivers license and papers. And a bottle of water, blanket and protein bar for Lena in case she needs something.

_“You don’t have to.”_

“What were you even doing on the road in the middle of the night?” Kara rushes down the stairs of her apartment building and into her car.

_“Driving home.”_

Kara lets out a small tut as she starts the ignition and drives away. She knows Lena is prone to working in the middle of the night, that woman has zero boundaries when it comes to work, but that doesn’t mean she should. And it certainly doesn’t mean Kara can’t chide her for it and try to change that behaviour.

 _“You should hang up. Focus on driving,”_ Lena tells her when Kara starts the ignition. Kara is a little surprised by the suggestion but agrees easily. She wouldn’t want to get in a car accident and leave Lena waiting in the middle of the night. Alone. No, she will comply and hang up. She knows it will ease Lena’s mind about her safety. So she pushes away the desire to keep hearing Lena’s voice to know she is okay and complies in Lena’s suggestion.

“I’ll see you in a few. Bye,” Kara tells her, hanging up the phone after hearing Lena tell her, “ _Bye,_ ” back.

The drive is quiet and eerie. Most streets are empty and silent. Kara isn’t usually on the road at 3 am and neither is the rest of National City, it seems. Then, she arrives on Cornelia street and can immediately see the road being blocked, an ambulance intimidatingly a few feet behind the blockade. Two totalled cars. Two. Kara quickly finds a spot to park as her mind starts reeling.

She almost breaks out into a run but manages to hold herself back and only speed walks over to the car crash. Her gaze darts all across the scene. Lena’s seat is empty, and Kara doesn’t know if that’s a consolation or a cause of worry. She briefly glances at the other car, also empty, and shifts her attention in search of Lena. She can’t find her, but sees a police officer walk in her direction.

“Hello, ma’am,” they greet politely but clearly a little apprehensive.

“Hi. I’m looking for my friend, Lena. She called me and said her car broke and she was here,” Kara quickly explains.

“Ah, Miss–” and they look at a small notepad in their hand– “Luthor’s friend?”

At Kara’s nod, she’s being brought to the back of the ambulance. Inside it, Lena is sitting on a seat folded out of the wall of the vehicle. She’s wrapped in a grey blanket and looks a little pale in the ambulance light. Her head lifts when she notices Kara, and she looks happy at her appearance.

“Kara,” she greets with a small smile.

“Lena,” Kara greets back, an edge of sternness in her voice. “You didn’t tell me you were in an accident.”

“I didn’t want you to worry.” Lena shrugs feigning innocence.

“Well, you didn’t at first, and then I got here and saw the ambulance, and you nearly scared me to death with that. Please, don’t ever do that again. Are you really okay? And this time, please, be completely honest.”

“I’m just a little bruised. And the nice paramedic over there gave me some nice butterfly bandages to fix me up,” Lena explains as she points to the paramedic sitting in the back corner of the ambulance. “I’m fine.”

Kara looks at the paramedic for confirmation because she’s just not very inclined to believe Lena on her word right now. But the paramedic nods.

“She’s physically okay. The bruises and cuts will heal just fine with a little time. She got lucky,” they explain.

“Okay, so she’s good to go home then?” Kara asks the paramedic.

“Yes. The bandages can be taken off after 12 days if they haven’t fallen off by themselves by then, but she doesn’t have to see a doctor for that. Just soak them a little instead of pulling them off dry.”

Kara nods, humming a little to show her understanding of the paramedics explanation.

“I’m sitting right here, you know,” Lena tells Kara.

“I know, but I just needed to hear it from the professional,” Kara explains as she lifts a hand for Lena to take. “Ready to go home?”

“Yes, please.” Lena lets out a tired sigh and takes Kara’s hand, shedding the blanket as she leaves the back of the ambulance.

“Nothing you need to do here anymore?” Kara asks, looking suggestively at the police officer and paramedic.

“No, they took my statement already, and I’m all patched up.” Lena shows Kara the bandages on her right arm and forehead to prove her point. The police officer doesn’t even look at them again, so Kara assumes they’re indeed good to go.

As they walk to the car, Kara notices Lena has not let go of her hand. She’s even giving it a little squeeze when they pass by the crashed cars again, and Kara knows she’s not as okay as she pretends she is. Lena might want to act as if she is and lie to herself, but Kara isn’t that easily fooled. But she’ll let her figure out her feelings on her own.

Kara opens the passenger side door of her car for Lena and first takes out the blanket, water and food she brought before handing everything over to Lena once she’s seated. Lena raises a questioning eyebrow at her.

“I didn’t know what you needed. You could be cold or hungry or thirsty,” Kara defends herself, quickly closing the door before Lena can reply to avoid any judgement.

As soon as she gets in, Kara can feel how anxious Lena is about being in the car. She doesn’t take it personally. She knows Lena trusts her driving skills. But she understands Lena now probably doesn’t trust other people’s driving skills. Kara resolves to drive extra attentively.

“Do you want to go to your place or mine?” Kara asks Lena, looking over to gauge her body language.

Lena shrugs. “Either is good.”

Kara determines Lena might feel more at home in her own apartment and decides to drive there. When she’s started the car, she takes her right hand off the wheel and places it on Lena’s leg. Immediately, Lena’s hands wrap around it, fingers intertwining and Lena’s thumb stroking Kara’s skin in a repetitive motion Kara knows must feel comforting to Lena.

In the middle of the night, driving is a lot faster than during the day. It doesn’t take them long before they reach Lena’s apartment building and Kara parks the car. Lena has a distant look in her eyes and by the time Kara has gotten out and walked around the car, she still hasn’t moved. Kara opens the door for her.

“Lena?” she asks, her voice purposefully soft so as not to startle Lena.

Lena visibly snaps back to the real world. “Yes. Sorry, I zoned out for a moment.” Lena takes the hand Kara offers and gets out of the car.

“That’s okay. We’re at your place,” Kara tells her, unsure if Lena has already come to that conclusion herself.

Lena nods. “Thank you,” she says and gets out of the car, seeming to hesitate for a moment. Kara closes the door and hooks her arm with Lena’s. She doesn’t want Lena to feel alone right now, and the best way to do that is to be physically there for her, Kara thinks. In silence, they walk to Lena’s apartment and enter.

Lena looks a little lost in the large room. Her eyes are sunken and Kara can almost sense that Lena hasn’t really slept last night. She looks beyond exhausted so Kara decides she’s going to be the one with a functioning brain right now and sends Lena to her bathroom for a shower and to brush her teeth.

Kara luckily has the wherewithal to have Lena grab some fresh clothes before guiding her to the shower, because she wouldn’t know where to look. And roaming through Lena’s clothes seems like a huge invasion of privacy. When she hears the shower start, she moves to the living room and sits down on the couch.

It’s just past 4 am now, but she feels wide awake. Maybe it’s the adrenaline talking. Or the confusion her body is in. But she doesn’t feel as tired as she probably should feel. She did get a few hours of sleep already, but that shouldn’t be enough to feel awake.

She checks her messages, but there are none. Of course. It’s the middle of the night. Everyone is asleep. Aimlessly, she scrolls through social media for a while until she hears the bathroom door open. She gets up and walks back to Lena’s bedroom.

Lena is wide-eyed in front of her bathroom door. She looks terrified yet somehow in control. In a way only Lena can look. When her eyes fall on Kara, she visibly relaxes and her eyes go back to a more normal size. Still sunken deep in their sockets with heavy bags beneath them, but no longer frightened.

“What time is it?” Lena asks, having blinked away whatever emotion she was feeling only a few seconds ago.

“Almost 4:30,” Kara answers honestly.

“I’m sorry for waking you up.” Lena sits down on the edge of her bed, head lowered. Her hands are in her lap, forcefully held still in a manor Kara knows was trained into her. Luthors don’t fidget.

“Hey,” Kara says as she sits down next to Lena and takes her hands in her own. “I don’t mind. I care about you, and I care about your safety. I gladly came to pick you up, and I would do so again. I also hope you would do the same for me if it’s ever necessary.”

“Of course,” Lena agrees, now looking at Kara with a small smile.

“Good. Now, I think you should sleep. You look like you haven’t done that since last week.”

“I have. I’m not a vampire, you know.”

“Hmm, you’re right. You did walk out in the sun without burning the other day. Though barely,” Kara jokes lightly, letting go of Lena’s hands and getting up. When Lena gets up too, she lifts the covers for Lena to slip under.

Lena sits back down on the uncovered bed and looks at Kara. “Please don’t leave.”

“Do you want me to stay the night?” Kara asks for clarification.

“Yes,” Lena says with a small nod. “Please. I can get you some pyjamas to change into?”

“I can get them myself if you tell me where to look, if that’s okay with you,” Kara suggests.

“Sure. They’re on the middle shelf behind the left door. Just grab whatever you deem fitting.”

Kara moves to the closet and finds an array of shorter and longer pyjama pants, worn t-shirts and some sweaters she never would have guessed Lena owned. She picks out a worn MIT shirt and a pair of plain black pyjama bottoms and quickly changes behind the door, folding her own clothes and putting the pile on Lena’s dresser.

Lena has already slipped beneath the covers, so Kara takes the other side, puts her phone on the nightstand and makes herself comfortable.

“You good?” Lena asks, face turned toward Kara.

Kara turns to face Lena as well. “Yes. Your bed is very soft.”

“Thank you.” A small silence follows before Lena talks again. “Is it okay if I turn off the lights?”

“Yes, go ahead.” Kara feels an urge to kiss Lena goodnight, but she holds herself back. She can’t kiss Lena. And she certainly can’t do so now when Lena is clearly sleep deprived and has other things on her mind.

“Goodnight,” Lena whispers in the dark.

“Goodnight,” Kara whispers back, though she knows she won’t be able to fall asleep soon. No matter how soft Lena’s mattress and sheets are.

It takes a while for Kara’s eyes to adjust to the dark, but when they do so, she can make out the vague outlines of Lena’s furniture. The unfamiliar room looks interesting in the dark. All colours and small details having disappeared, just the bare shapes left.

Kara can hear Lena’s breathing, not silent and deep enough for sleep, so she knows she’s awake too. But Kara doesn’t say anything, she doesn’t want to risk dragging Lena from the brink of sleep. She plays with the hem of her pyjama shirt as she stares at the ceiling and lets her thoughts drift. She thinks about this night. About today and tomorrow. About Lena and about Alex. About work, about a new painting she’s been meaning to start. About Eliza.

Then, the peaceful sound of Lena’s breathing suddenly changes. It becomes slightly irregular, with some deeper intakes of air and some stuttered exhales. Kara immediately recognises it as crying. Soft crying.

“Lena?” she asks softly.

Lena moves under the covers, presumably to wipe her face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“I wasn’t asleep yet. Are you okay?”

“Yes, yes, I’m just…” Lena lets a silence fall, clearly not able to find the words.

“Feeling emotions?” Kara finishes Lena’s sentence for her.

“Yes, I think so.”

“That’s okay. Do you want a hug?” Kara offers. Upon Lena’s small hummed agreement, she moves closer and wraps her arms around Lena. “You know feeling emotions is a good thing, right? You gotta let it out because otherwise you will just bottle everything up and one day explode.”

Lena wraps her own arms around Kara, resting her head in the crook of Kara’s shoulder. “I’m working on that.”

“Good.” Kara rubs circles on Lena’s back with her one arm, knowing that is something that always helps Alex calm down if she’s having a lot of emotions. “It’s also okay to not be okay,” she adds after a moment.

Lena starts sniffing again, as if Kara’s kindness is actually setting her off. Which actually shouldn’t surprise Kara with what she’s heard about Lena’s history with people. There have never been many people in her life who were nice to her and it seems like in recent years it has been limited to a single friend named Sam, who has a child and a job and busy life.

Kara can’t imagine Sam being able to give Lena enough emotional support. A person shouldn’t rely on a single person for that anyway.

“Just let it out. I got you,” Kara says, pulling Lena a little closer. “You’re safe here.”

They lie like that for a while. Lena crying softly, wrapped in Kara’s arms. Kara rubbing soothing circles on Lena’s back as she stares at the ceiling. It feels peaceful, somehow. Like this is where she is supposed to be. Like she belongs here.

Like she belongs in Lena’s bed, holding her when she needs it most.

Eventually, Lena’s sniffing quiets down and her breathing evens out. Kara doesn’t stop holding her or soothing her. But she’s glad Lena has stopped crying.

“I’m sorry,” Lena apologises again.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s okay. People cry, that’s healthy.”

Lena hums softly and rubs the tears from her eyes and cheeks. “Would you maybe keep holding me?” she asks a little shyly.

“Of course.” Kara shifts down a little to rest her head back on her pillow, taking Lena with her. Lena’s head is a comfortable weight on her shoulder, warm arm wrapped around her torso. She wouldn’t want to be anywhere else or any farther from Lena than she is right now.

“Thank you.” Lena looks up for a moment. Kara can’t discern her face enough to read it, but there’s something in her eyes. Affection, maybe? Gratefulness? “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Lena.” Kara presses a short kiss to the top of Lena’s head before following Lena’s cue and closing her eyes for the night.

* * *

Kara wakes up to the comfortable warmth of Lena’s body half on top of her, one arm thrown over her stomach. Lena’s breath ghosts over her collarbone, and a few baby hairs tickle her neck. So as not to wake up Lena, Kara tries to blow them away. She pulls back her head to get a better angle but it’s a little awkward and not very effective.

Kara decides the tickling hairs are not worth the effort or risk. She could stay lying like this for hours. Lena, blissfully asleep in her arms. Kara could look at Lena for eternity if that were possible. So she will take the opportunity with both hands.

After a while, Lena’s breathing starts to become lighter and she begins to stir. Her eyes slowly blink open.

“Morning,” Kara greets happily.

“Morning.” Lena’s voice is still hoarse from sleep and even deeper than normal. Kara catches herself appreciating it a lot.

“How do you feel?”

“Like I got hit by a truck,” Lena says with a small smile, exhaustion still clearly visible on her face.

“Well, considering you were hit by an almost-truck, that’s not surprising.” Kara smiles back. At least Lena still has her humour.

Because of how tired Lena looks, Kara decides to just let her relax for as long as she needs. Today is Sunday anyway. So, she slowly starts to reluctantly extract herself from Lena’s arms.

“You just stay there. I’ll make us breakfast. Do you have ingredients for anything, or should I run to a store real quick?” she asks after she realises she’s at Lena’s place and has no idea how well-stocked her kitchen is.

“I have food. Just look in the fridge and cupboards. You can use anything. Do you need my help?” Lena says sleepily, suppressing a yawn.

“Nope, I’ll figure it out. You just stay put and relax.”

“Okay.” Lena hesitates a moment, as if Kara leaving the room is not actually ‘okay’. But then she falls back on her pillow and burrows herself in the thick covers.

Kara decides to keep breakfast quick and simple, wanting to go back to Lena. She makes them some eggs and toast, as Lena has all the supplies for that and it doesn’t require Kara to think about it much.

With two filled plates, she returns to the bedroom.

“Breakfast in bed,” she declares, handing Lena a plate and climbing back into bed.

“I don’t think I ever had breakfast in bed,” Lena comments as she cuts off a piece of toast with egg.

“Never?” Kara’s eyes go wide.

“Maybe before the Luthors adopted me, but certainly not after. Lillian would have murdered me if I even so much as thought about food when I was in my bedroom.”

“Everything you tell me about her makes me have less respect for her.”

“She wasn’t that bad, really.” Lena shrugs, looking away and taking another bite.

“You don’t have to be the worst to be bad.” Kara raises an eyebrow but goes back to eating too. This isn’t a moment to talk about stuff like this.

They eat in silence, Kara internally berating herself for commenting on Lena’s mother’s parenting. But after they’re both done, Lena looks up at her with kind eyes and an open look, and Kara immediately forgets her worry.

“What do you want to do today?” she asks, as she takes Lena’s plate and puts it on top of her own.

“I don’t know.” Lena smooths the covers over her legs, and Kara knows this tell-tale sign of Lena being slightly uncomfortable or in a new situation.

“Do you want to stay in and do something like watch a movie here, or go out to maybe the park?” Kara offers. Choosing is always easier when you have the choices clear in your head and someone already narrows them down for you. Kara knows from experience.

“Stay in, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, not. Do you want to watch something, play a game, just lounge around…” Kara trails of, letting Lena fill in other suggestions if she wants to.

“Watch a movie or show, I think.”

“Okay, let’s get comfy on the couch then. You want to bring the covers?”

Lena shrugs but does pull the covers along with her as she gets out of bed. Kara leads the way to the living room, leaving Lena by the couch to put their plates on the counter in the kitchen. When she returns, Lena is pressed into a corner of the couch, all but the top of her head hidden by the covers. It would be a funny sight if it didn’t make Kara’s heart ache.

Kara sits down on the couch too, lifting the end of the covers to slip below them. She folds her legs beneath herself before pointing the remote at the tv to turn it on. They’ve done enough movie nights at Lena’s by now for her to know how the tv works.

“Do you have any preference for what to watch?” she asks as she brings up a list of movies and series.

“No,” Lena answers, shaking her head a little as she looks from Kara to the tv.

Kara pulls up a tv show she likes. It’s a light one because she thinks that’s best. She doesn’t want to overwhelm Lena with some heavy, sad show.

“This one?”

Lena shrugs and nods. Kara will take that as a yes and presses play.

After one episode, Kara finds Lena’s hand holding hers beneath the covers. Two episodes in, Lena starts moving. No longer hiding in the corner of the couch, her head now resting on Kara’s shoulder. Their bodies are pressed into each other, and Kara wraps an arm around Lena’s shoulder. Her other hand takes over holding Lena’s hands in her lap. And damn, this is not going to help her get over Lena. It is only making it worse, if she is completely honest with herself. Part of her screams to let go of Lena’s hands. To remove her arm from Lena’s shoulders. But Kara does not listen. She is so comfortable and feels like she belongs. She is not going to give that up because of a voice screaming in the back of her head. She will just push down the voice and see how she is going to get herself through the day without overstepping any boundaries.

During episode four, Lena suddenly starts talking. Softly. “Thank you for being here.”

“Of course,” Kara assures her. “Always.”

“I’m sorry for waking you up,” Lena continues. “I just didn’t know who to call.”

“It’s okay. I’m glad you called me. I want to be there for you.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind? I would have called Sam, but she has Ruby, and it was so late, and I maybe kind of panicked when I dialed your number.”

“I certainly don’t mind, Lena. You’re my friend, and I want to be able to be there for you when you need me. No matter what,” Kara assures her.

She can feel how the tension leaves Lena’s body, eased by Kara’s reassuring words.

“I was so relieved when you answered the phone. And when you actually showed up. I just- I didn’t want to let you go because you made me feel safe, and I didn’t feel safe before you showed up.”

Kara doesn’t know what to say to that, so she just holds onto Lena a little tighter.

“And I guess now we’re even. I saved you at the bar and you saved me last night,” Lena comments.

“Well, not entirely. You kissed me that night.” As soon as it’s out, Kara wants to disappear in a hole in the ground. Why does she always have a foot in her mouth and say exactly the wrong things?

Lena is silent for a moment before answering with a calculated, “I wouldn’t mind if you returned the favour.”

Lena looks up at Kara, their gazes connecting. Kara blinks dumbfoundedly. She cannot believe it. Lena wants to kiss her? Why?

Kara opens her mouth to say something, but no words come. She frowns and finally forces out a, “Me?”

“Yes, you, Kara. I would like to kiss you again if you want that too,” Lena elaborates as she sits up, her eyes never losing contact with Kara’s.

“Why?”

“Because I like you, you idiot,” Lena confesses. “I like you a lot.” She looks at Kara expectantly, waiting for a reaction.

Kara can only gape at her. Lena likes her. Lena likes her. Lena likes her. She blinks again as her brain tries to reboot. And then, out of nowhere, she finds herself moving forward. Her lips suddenly touch Lena’s, like she has wanted to do since the last time they disconnected.

They’re kissing.

It’s better than Kara remembered. Lena is soft and tender, her hand once again finding Kara’s cheek and cupping it. Kara’s hands find their purchase on Lena’s sides, pulling her a little closer on the couch.

In the background, the show is still playing but neither of them pay it any mind. Both lost in the sensation of each other. Even when their lips finally disconnect, they don’t have attention for anything else. Their foreheads are pressed together, as they catch their breaths.

“I should have done this weeks ago,” Kara sighs after a long pause.

Lena brushes her thumb over Kara’s cheek .”Yes, you should. But you seemed to be impervious to my flirting.”

Kara can’t help but smile, her freshly kissed lips stretching into a silly grin. “Impervious sounds better than idiot.”

“Same difference,” Lena retorts, moving slightly so the tip of her nose brushes against Kara’s with affection. Just that simple movement is enough to set off a fresh rush of desire in Kara. “However, I think I might be able to forgive you if you don’t leave me out in the cold again.”

Kara pulls her closer, bridging the small gap between their bodies that has suddenly started feeling like a chasm.

“Never,” she whispers, her breath landing on Lena’s cheek. “As a matter of fact, I think I should make up for lost time.” And with that, she presses her smile onto Lena’s lips, kissing her fervently and enjoying every moment of the lips she has missed since the first day they pressed against hers. Then she kisses Lena again, and again, and again. Inside her, something sings because finally, Lena is kissing her, just like she did before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You might be able to persuade me into writing an epilogue. Hit me up on [tumblr](https://s-nebul0sa.tumblr.com) to convince me.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr [over here](https://s-nebul0sa.tumblr.com).


End file.
